Lasik eye surgery has been proven to restore vision in patients throughout Houston, TX. Much like any other eye surgery, it’s important that you weigh out the benefits and any possible LASIK side effects. At Mattioli Vision Professionals, we reduce the risk of any complications you may experience by using the new LASIK technology. When you’re interested in learning more about how to reduce your dependence on glasses or contacts, schedule a consultation with Dr. Fred Mattioli, a top LASIK surgeon in Houston, to learn how LASIK eye surgery can improve and restore your vision best in Sugar Land, River Oaks, Woodlands, and West University, TX.
What is LASIK Surgery?
When light hits your cornea, its job is to bend and focus on your retina. When this doesn’t happen properly, you will experience blurry vision. This is a refractive error.
LASIK can help correct many different refractive errors, including:
- Astigmatism: Astigmatism is caused by a poorly-shaped cornea.
- Farsightedness (hyperopia): This means you can see things far away, but you have blurry vision for things close by.
- Nearsightedness (myopia): When your vision is sharp when you are looking at objects close by but is blurry for things far away, you are nearsighted.
What to expect before LASIK
Before you get LASIK eye surgery, you will need to have a consultation with Dr. Mattioli, who can examine your eyes to determine if you’re a good candidate for surgery. The best candidate for surgery is a patient 18 years or older with enough corneal thickness.
How does LASIK work?
At Mattioli Vision Professionals, our LASIK surgeon prepares you for surgery with numbing eye drops. Next, we will clean your eyes and prop them open using a lid speculum. Then, we create a thin flap on your corneal tissue with a microkeratome, a special laser light source. This thin flap is lifted much like a contact lens, and the laser is used to reshape the cornea so that light can bend and reflect properly. Depending on your condition, Dr. Mattioli will adjust the shape of your cornea so you can see both near and far. After this reshaping is complete, the flap is laid back in place. The entire LASIK procedure should only take 10 – 15 minutes.
What to expect after LASIK
Some of our patients do experience some unwanted LASIK side effects after their surgery. Most people find that they experience dry eyes or irritation. These side effects are minimal and should subside in a few weeks. Dr. Mattioli can prescribe prescription eye drops to manage any discomfort.
Also, it’s common for a patient to have blurry vision after LASIK as they heal. While you should notice a significant improvement in your vision almost immediately, recovering from LASIK does take time. Full recovery varies by patient, and it can be 3 – 6 months for your vision to fully stabilize. During your healing process, you will revisit our Houston, TX office to be evaluated.
Benefits of LASIK
The most obvious benefit of LASIK in Houston, TX is that you won’t have to rely on visual aids as much as before. Besides the lifestyle benefits that LASIK provides, you can enjoy fast and efficient outpatient surgery that takes very little time. You can return home almost immediately afterward and see results by the end of the next day. Your eyesight continues to improve for the next 7 – 14 days. Since the long-term effects of LASIK are permanent, you can enjoy improved vision for a lifetime.
Enjoy your long-term effects of LASIK
Ultimately, LASIK helps patients treat refractive errors, like nearsightedness or farsightedness. LASIK eye surgery is a safe, effective, and successful way to restore vision. At Mattioli Vision Professionals, Dr. Fred Mattioli offers consultations to help patients learn about potential LASIK side effects in Woodlands, Sugar Land, River Oaks, and West University, TX.
